The Memorial
by Black-Rose Marley
Summary: A year after Jenna's death, the group decide to hold a memorial.


**A/N: Based on a true story, thus dedicated to Victoria! We went to a memorial for her, and all this happened, the pictures, the balloon, all except the Delena kiss, because...well, obviously i just love Delena.**

A year after Jenna's death, Elena was still sad and angry.

Sad because she lost a lot of people she cared about. First her adoptive parents, then her real parents, and finally her aunt. The last hurt the most, because it meant she had no one left.

Angry because Klaus had gotten away unscathed. Angry because Damon had screwed it up and Jenna's death was merely a punishment. Angry because Klaus had then taken Stefan, and to this day, hadn't given him back. Angry because she had been betrayed.

And angry because there was nothing she could do about any of it.

Most days she could more or less live with these emotions, but not today, after Jeremy had reminded her that Jenna had died a year ago tomorrow.

"Thanks. As if I wasn't feeling guilty enough," Elena replied sarcastically.

"I think Alaric's planning something for tomorrow. A memorial, or something, at the park."

"Are you going?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yes. Who else?"

"Bonnie and Caroline want to come for support," Jeremy said. "I'm not so sure about Damon. You may want to ask him."

Elena didn't want Damon anywhere near there, because she never truly forgave him, but she remembered him saying, shortly after Stefan left, that he would always be there for her. She figured there was nothing she could do to keep him away.

—

Caroline brought a candle to light for Jenna. Alaric and Elena brought tons of pictures of her. Bonnie brought a giant heart shaped balloon.

"Really?" Damon asked. "A balloon? How corny."

"No, it's not," Bonnie explained. "We're all going to sign it, then send it up for her. Everyone come sign it!"

They all wrote a message for Jenna, and then they all talked. They talked for an hour, sometimes about Jenna, sometimes about less depressing things. Then, Elena left the group and sat by a nearby tree.

Caroline came over to him then. "You okay?" she asked.

Elena nodded. "I'm digging a hole. We're going to burn those pictures, and bury the ashes."

"That's a good idea," Caroline said, and began to dig.

Once they had a hole, only a few inches deep, everyone gathered around it. One by one the pictures were burned, them the ashes were buried, and the candle was placed on top.

"If anyone wants to say anything, now's the time," Elena said.

"I'll go first," Alaric said. "When I first met Jenna, something between us clicked. She told me about her cheating boyfriend, everything. We ended up dating, but I had to keep lying to her about all the vampire stuff. She found out...the day before she turned. My only regrets are not telling her sooner, and not being there when she died."

"I...I'm not sure how I'm feeling," Caroline said. "I mean, the only reason she's dead is because I wasn't used in the sacrifice. I know it's wrong, but I fell happy that I'm alive. Then I feel guilty because I'm happy."

"It's my fault," Damon said, so quietly that everyone thought they'd misheard him, even Caroline. They waited for him to elaborate, but he never did. However, it was more than they thought would come from Damon.

Jeremy passed, which wasn't surprising. They were all used to Jeremy suppressing his emotions. Bonnie also passed, having nothing to do directly with Jenna's death. This was to be expected too.

What wasn't to be expected was when Elena passed.

They quickly skipped over it, and went back to the picnic tables where the balloon was tied up. Elena walked over to untie it, and was holding it when the wind began blowing harder. Elena, her hands trembling, accidentally let go of the balloon.

She let out a sob, and Damon was the first to be there to comfort her. "You wanna talk?" he asked.

She nodded. "Privately."

While everyone else was watching the balloon go up, Elena walked away.

"I know," Damon began when they were alone, "why you didn't want to talk earlier. You blame me, and didn't want to say it."

"I don't blame you," she whispered. "I guess, it would be easier to say I blame you, because it might be your fault, but I can't blame you. I blame myself!" she suddenly shouted. "You all tried to talk me out of the sacrifice, but I didn't listen." Elena had started to cry. "It's all because of what I am, everything is because I'm the doppelgänger and I just..." She couldn't finish.

"It's not your fault," Damon reassured her.

"It is—"

He silenced her with a kiss. It wasn't enough to make her or Stefan mad, just to settle her. In truth, she was the one who deepened the kiss.

—

They returned to the group, showing no sign of what had happened between them.

"I'm so sorry about losing the balloon," Elena said.

"It's not your fault, it's okay," Bonnie assured her.

"Typical Jenna," Jeremy added.

Five confused faces looked back at him. "What?" Elena asked.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Jeremy said. "Jenna wanted her balloon. I have absolutely no doubt she took the balloon before we were ready, because she was, and she wanted it."

Elena half-smiled. "Be that as it may," she said, "they both went too soon."


End file.
